Vandalism at Assam School Highlights Rising Tensions During Christmas Celebrations
Incident at St. Mary’s School
On Wednesday, members of the Bajrang Dal forcefully entered St. Mary’s School located in the Panigaon village of Assam's Nalbari district, where they vandalized Christmas decorations and destroyed posters, according to police reports.
The group, associated with Hindutva ideology, was captured on video by a local news outlet setting fire to the festive decorations while chanting slogans like 'Jai Shri Ram'.
On the eve of Christmas, members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal entered St. Mary’s School in Panigaon, Nalbari, chanting slogans like “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Hindu Rashtra.” They destroyed and set fire to all Christmas decorations prepared at the school,… pic.twitter.com/cLkMiubOyX
— India Today NE (@IndiaTodayNE) December 24, 2025
This incident is part of a troubling trend, as multiple reports have emerged regarding attacks on Christians and disruptions to Christmas festivities in recent days.
Recent Attacks on Christmas Celebrations
In Kerala, a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was detained after an attack on a children's Christmas carol group in Pudussery village, Palakkad district.
The RSS is known as the parent organization of the ruling BJP at the national level.
In Uttarakhand, a hotel managed by the state tourism department canceled a planned Christmas celebration along the Ganges River following protests organized by the Ganga Sabha.
Additionally, a video shared by Aam Aadmi Party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj depicted men intimidating women and children wearing Santa hats in Delhi's Lajpat Nagar. However, police described the situation as a minor verbal disagreement that did not escalate.
On Tuesday, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India expressed alarm over the increasing number of attacks on Christians in various states leading up to Christmas, emphasizing that these incidents threaten the constitutional rights to religious freedom and safe worship.
The bishops were particularly disturbed by an assault in Jabalpur, where a visually impaired woman was attacked by a BJP leader during a Christmas event, with the incident occurring in the presence of law enforcement.